Same Mistakes

14. The Fault

14. The Fault
Danielle.
"It feels amazing to be dancing again. I hadn't realized how much I'd missed it," I replied to Drew's question. "You were fabulous, Danielle. Hopefully we'll get to see you in some of the other dances?" Drew questioned. I nodded, smiling, "Yes, I'm in a few more dances." I confirmed.
"My Mum dances really good. Did you see that dance she did?" Asked Madison, poking Drew's knee multiple times in a row. Drew looked down at Madison, a satisfied smile on his face. "Your Mum?" Drew asked. "Yup! And doesn't her hair look all beautiful?" Asked Mads, staring longingly at my dark hair. "I think my hair is a lighter brown then Mum's colour of hair. But cute little Megan's hair is more like Mum's. Darker and curly." Maddie thoroughly explained, tucking her straightened brown hair behind her ear.
"I don't know why my hair is lighter then Mum's. Probably from my Dad. I don't know who my Daddy is, though. My friend Hanson's Dad is pretty cool. He plays hockey with Hanson. All of my friends have Daddy's, except me." Said Madison, words getting quieter and expression getting sadder.
"But that's okay. I don't need a Daddy. My friends Emily and Cameron's Daddy is named Louis. He sings really pretty songs with his friends. I love his music. My Uncle Zayn just had a baby named Halle, you know?" Madison asked Drew. "Now my Uncle Zayn is a Daddy, too. Halle is really adorable and sweet. But I don't understand why I don't get a Daddy." Said Madison, expression a mixture of confusion and wonder.
My heart rate quickened with each word Madison spoke. I know Liam is one of the judges. I saw him. How did I not see this coming? One Direction is the biggest band that has ever emerged from X-Factor. I'm so stupid for not realizing either Louis, Niall, Harry, Zayn or Liam would judge.
I saw Liam sitting there. Right in front of me as I danced. He watched me closely. He watched my dancing. He met my eyes multiple times. But not once did Liam show a flicker of recognition. Olivia also danced in this dance, but it was obvious that she didn't hold Liam's attention.
Hopefully Liam doesn't put two-and-two together that Megan is our daughter. But Liam doesn't even know that I gave birth to Megan. He didn't believe me. Well, maybe Liam will think I'm just babysitting Megan? Wow. Now I'm just pathetic. I should tell the poor guy about his daughter.
"Danielle. A word?" Asked Liam, cutting off Madison's non-stop chattering. I gulped unintentionally. "Mum," Said Max, pulling on my arm, "That guy at the table over there said your name." The slow, deep, breathes I'd been trying to maintain began to fail as my breathes turned shaky and quick.
"Can it wait, Liam?" I asked, just loud enough for him to hear. Madison stepped closer to me, and protectively hugged my leg.
"Now." Liam said, rolling his chair out and climbing down from the judges platform. "Zayn," Liam said, turning back towards the audience. "Go take my place as judge. I'll be back in 10." Said Liam, heading backstage. "Room 1, Danielle." Liam said, disappearing into the dark backstage.
"I need you kids to go sit with Uncle Harry," I said to my babies, ruffling Madison's soft hair. "Who is that guy that talked to you?" Whispered Max as we towards the stage-stairs. "He looks familiar." Madison chimed in. "He's nobody." I whispered, ushering the kids over to Harry. "Nobody at all."
*
"Can you please explain this to me?" Questioned Liam, pacing back and forth across the dressing room. "What exactly do you want me to explain?" I asked. I clasped my hands behind my back and rocked on my heels. "Who that kid was." Liam replied, voice cracking. I think he already knows the answer. I don't really know what to say. Do I just blurt it? That Megan is his daughter? Or is blurting it just too casual?
"Well, uh... Remember a few years ago, I-I called you from the hospital and told you I was having a baby?" I stuttered, feeling my palms go sweaty. Liam's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. "You weren't joking around?" Liam asked, guilt washing over his face. I shook my head no.
"Why would I joke around about something like that? I was so scared, Liam." I said, clenching my teeth. I brushed my hair out of my eyes.
"I gave birth to our daughter, Megan Hope, when I was just a little over 20 weeks pregnant. Because of the early labour, our 2nd daughter is deaf. She's also blind in one eye. And, one of her hands is severely deformed. To make matters worse, she doesn't have a Father, because that Father refused to accept the fact that she was ever born." I breathed, flopping down into a flimsy fold-up chair.
Liam just stared at me, eyes wide and glassy. "Was that you... At Walmart?" Liam asked quietly. I sighed, unsure of my current emotion. "Yes," I finally responded. "Why didn't you reply when I said Danielle?" Liam asked, eyebrows slowly knitting together, "In the line-up."
"Because I'm happy, Liam," I said, shaking my head slowly. "I'm happy without you in my life. The kids are happy. We don't need you around. I'm providing for the kids. I'm paying for the roof over our heads. The clothes on our backs. Megan's medical expenses and the food on the table every night for dinner. I didn't want to get mixed up in the emotions of having you in my life again." I explained, exasperated.
Liam looked down at his lap. "I guess you're right." Liam whispered. My eyes stared at Liam. I used to be in love with him. We kissed. We hugged. We slept together. We raised our children. We went on dates. We went to events together. We did everything together. We were in love.
"So?" I asked. "Anything you wanna say? Anything you wanna ask? Anything you're wondering about the kids?" I questioned, feeling weird in the silence. "I don't know... I think I need some time to process everything. Then I'll, uh... Call you." Liam admitted, looking up into my eyes.
I nodded. "That'd be fine."
Liam stood up, and turned towards the wall. "So Niall wasn't lying when he said Max called him?" Liam asked. "It was the truth." I replied. "So, I wasn't being Punk'd?" Liam questioned, trying to clear everything up. "No you weren't. I was legitimately in the hospital getting sliced open. It really hurt, Liam."
"I'm sorry." Liam finally apologized, still not looking at me. I sighed. Why can't he be a man and look me in the eye when he apologizes? "Its fine." I replied, not wanting to make a big fuss. "I told you, I'm fine without you around. I love my life with just me and the kidlets."
"So, even if I wanted to, you wouldn't let me be in your and the kids' lives?" Liam asked, turning around. "I don't think so... I'm sorry Liam, but I don't want to much up the kids' emotions. Max and Madison already had to suffer through losing you once. I can't risk it happening again."
"So I don't even get a second chance?" Liam asked.
"Liam, I'm really sorry, but I already gave you a second chance three years ago when I let you into Max's life. But you ruined that chance by making the same mistakes. You left us Max, Madison and I alone. The kids were devastated, Liam. I can't stress that enough." I said, shrugging.
"No, that's not what happened," Liam disagreed.
"You told me you were getting an abortion. That you were killing our little, helpless unborn son or daughter. Thats why I decided we should break up. I couldn't stand to be with you, knowing that you cut our baby into millions of tiny pieces. It broke my heart, Danielle. That's why I said we were never getting back together. Plus- I said I would quit the whole fake-dating thing that Simon arranged. But YOU, Danielle, told me to go away and marry Sophia. To have kids with her." Liam reminded me.
"Liam, it wasn't like that-" I tried to explain myself. Liam cut me off, "But I told you that I didn't want to marry or have kids with Sophia. But you didn't care. You told me I deserved better. So you walked inside the house, and slammed the door behind you." Liam explained, voice raising.
"Then, Danielle, I texted you for over a month, saying things like I'm Sorry and How I Miss You. I admitted to the whole fake-dating Sophia thing. I told you that it wasn't Simon's idea. I admitted that it was my idea. Dani, I told you I Loved You. I told you I Wanted To Be Back In Our Kids Lives. But not one single time did you text or call me back." Liam said, shaking his head at me in frustration.
"I'm pretty sure that was the last time we communicated, before you called me from the hospital when our third child was born." Liam re-capped. I stood there, speechless. All this time I'd been blaming Liam for leaving, when I wouldn't let him back into our lives anyway.
"So," Said Liam, cocking his head and squinting his eyes, "Who was it that really played with the kids' emotions? Huh? Because it sure as hell wasn't me."

Ooooooooooh.
QOTD- Who's fault do you think it is? Will Liam want to have the kids in his
life? Thoughts on the chapter in general?(:
Thanks to everyone who reads my story! I love you all so much!
-A xo